Someone cut open a head Prestige in another thread, and the handle had a lead beam running down the middle....stock.

So, maybe there are certain weights that can't be achieved with just graphite? Maybe other materials have to be introduced to get up to 12 oz+ weights, and lead is the easiest one to use to achieve this?

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Yes carbon fiber comes in different weights.

Here is what a Prestige looks like with out the pallets on.

The racquet is hollow but silicone was add to customize the racquet to add weight.

Also, I think a key point that we've all kind of overlooked is that Sampras has the leather grip removed and a synthetic put on, so it's not exactly the same frame as Sampras uses.

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Perhaps something else to consider is the stiffness. Nate Ferguson said that Pete opted for the St.Vincent frames because he found them stiffer than the other versions. Perhaps Wilson add a little bit extra to Pete's racquets to stiffen them up, even if only at key points. That's not overly hard to achieve and manufacturers have been doing it for players since the days of Hoad.

^^^^come on, Drak don't be like that. You know good and well Sampras' frame isn't made out of wood. It's made from the good prepgrag graphite that only Sampras and Federer can get.

On another note, if this frame were not a retail frame, it would be the first one Sampras had ever had. His previous frames came right off the assembly line in St. Vincent. And one has to ask....for an old pro who plays only the occassional exo, why would Wilson go to such lengths.

Although, I have it good authority that Babolat doesn't use cats for Sampras' gut. No, they are using shrews. That's right, shrew intestines. Unfortunately, not just any shew will do. Sampras insists on the Etruscan Shew which unfortunately for that species is the smallest and had the most tender intestinal track. It takes, on average, 3.5MM Etruscan Shews for one set of gut. That's because the intestinal track of the Etruscan Shrew is only 1/16 of an inch long. Further restricting production is the fact that Sampras has been known to prefer the small intestinal portion of the Etruscan Shrew and has before rejected sets of gut that included the large intesting. Yes, his feel is legendary.

Not many know this, but Sampras also doesn't use ink on his stencils. Well, not ink that is man-made. No, Sampras prefers the ink of the giant squid which is some 1/4 gram lighter per cubic liter than regular ink. Sampras employs specially equipped divers from Japan. These divers "milk" giant squid at great depths to obtain the ink. It is very costly because it takes two divers. One has to scare the squid into ejecting the ink and another collects it quickly before it disperses in the depths.

The graphite that makes up Sampras' frames is also of a very special build. The material used in Sampras' rackets is selected from the radar absorbing material that is used on the F-117 Stealth Fighter, B-2 Spirit Bomber, and F-22 Raptor. The material is selected from batches made before the aircraft manufacturers get their quantities. Wilson does this to ensure that only the best materials are used. In the upper echelons of Wilson, this product is referred to as Ultrapreg or Stealthpreg.

Lastly, Sampras' rackets aren't painted at all. Wilson, in addition to the special radar absorbing material described above anodizes it. This is done to ensure that the flex of the frame is consistent from stem to stern, head to butt as it were. The anodization of the frames is very costly, but it ensures that the frame color is constant from the outer layer to the center. Sampras requires this as differing colors can be a distraction to him while he's playing the occassional exo.

I certainlly hope this helps explain a very complicated manufacturing process and dispells any urban myths that have grown around Sampras.

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I don't even know what to say at this point, other than>>> YOU ARE CORRECT.

<<<<note to self,,,,,don't chew food while reading these hilarious posts>>>>>

If you think these cost hundreds of dollars to produce with their pretty decals to produce.

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I just said what was in the ESPN article. I don't know any better. But remember that the factory uses special techniques like screen painting and robots. The people who do the paintjobs are working on another model, maybe from a different factory, and in a different size, on which the same numerically programmed robot cannot paint. So it is upto an individual to handpaint the racquets. Take the number of hours it takes to apply primer, paint all those layers and details, take it to a high gloss etc and multiply by the labor charge per hour.

I just said what was in the ESPN article. I don't know any better. But remember that the factory uses special techniques like screen painting and robots. The people who do the paintjobs are working on another model, maybe from a different factory, and in a different size, on which the same numerically programmed robot cannot paint. So it is upto an individual to handpaint the racquets. Take the number of hours it takes to apply primer, paint all those layers and details, take it to a high gloss etc and multiply by the labor charge per hour.

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It is not up to a indivual to hand paint the graphics. It is up to a individual to put on the decals. Even the the consumer racquets now with the fancy graphics are decals for example on the Wilson Kfactor and HEAD Microgel Racquets that being sold today to the public.

A friend of mine here in Copenhagen got a great birthday gift: an hour of tennis with Kenneth Carlsen (10 years ATP top-100 danish player), and one of his rackets. They talked about costumizing and Kenneth said that only very very few players get specially build rackets. You choose your model, and the company or someone else customize it, using amo lead tape or silicone. Kenneth had silicone because he did not like the look of l-tape. Nothing new in this for me, but I thought it might be of interest.
I hope to play the racket next time we play.

A friend of mine here in Copenhagen got a great birthday gift: an hour of tennis with Kenneth Carlsen (10 years ATP top-100 danish player), and one of his rackets. They talked about costumizing and Kenneth said that only very very few players get specially build rackets. You choose your model, and the company or someone else customize it, using amo lead tape or silicone. Kenneth had silicone because he did not like the look of l-tape. Nothing new in this for me, but I thought it might be of interest.
I hope to play the racket next time we play.

A friend of mine here in Copenhagen got a great birthday gift: an hour of tennis with Kenneth Carlsen (10 years ATP top-100 danish player), and one of his rackets. They talked about costumizing and Kenneth said that only very very few players get specially build rackets. You choose your model, and the company or someone else customize it, using amo lead tape or silicone. Kenneth had silicone because he did not like the look of l-tape. Nothing new in this for me, but I thought it might be of interest.
I hope to play the racket next time we play.

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Good info! he was also a long time Donnay Pro One (limited) player in the nineties before switching to the Pure Control.

see that´s what i don´t understand. if a pro knows what he wants regarding weight, swing weight etc., than why not produce them to that exact specifications. wouldn´t that be better qualitywise than to add lead?

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But you aren't taking into consideration the different types of surfaces/weather on the tour. The same type court plays different in respect to the city or country you're in. The weight changes with the different conditions.

Although, I have it good authority that Babolat doesn't use cats for Sampras' gut. No, they are using shrews. That's right, shrew intestines. Unfortunately, not just any shew will do. Sampras insists on the Etruscan Shew which unfortunately for that species is the smallest and had the most tender intestinal track. It takes, on average, 3.5MM Etruscan Shews for one set of gut. That's because the intestinal track of the Etruscan Shrew is only 1/16 of an inch long. Further restricting production is the fact that Sampras has been known to prefer the small intestinal portion of the Etruscan Shrew and has before rejected sets of gut that included the large intesting. Yes, his feel is legendary.

Not many know this, but Sampras also doesn't use ink on his stencils. Well, not ink that is man-made. No, Sampras prefers the ink of the giant squid which is some 1/4 gram lighter per cubic liter than regular ink. Sampras employs specially equipped divers from Japan. These divers "milk" giant squid at great depths to obtain the ink. It is very costly because it takes two divers. One has to scare the squid into ejecting the ink and another collects it quickly before it disperses in the depths.

The graphite that makes up Sampras' frames is also of a very special build. The material used in Sampras' rackets is selected from the radar absorbing material that is used on the F-117 Stealth Fighter, B-2 Spirit Bomber, and F-22 Raptor. The material is selected from batches made before the aircraft manufacturers get their quantities. Wilson does this to ensure that only the best materials are used. In the upper echelons of Wilson, this product is referred to as Ultrapreg or Stealthpreg.

Lastly, Sampras' rackets aren't painted at all. Wilson, in addition to the special radar absorbing material described above anodizes it. This is done to ensure that the flex of the frame is consistent from stem to stern, head to butt as it were. The anodization of the frames is very costly, but it ensures that the frame color is constant from the outer layer to the center. Sampras requires this as differing colors can be a distraction to him while he's playing the occassional exo.

I certainlly hope this helps explain a very complicated manufacturing process and dispells any urban myths that have grown around Sampras.